At The Cafe
by Shine14
Summary: Travis and Katie have known each other since high school. They've always had a confusing relationship. Will one crazy day at the cafe change it all? - One-shot AU - Tratie


**Hii! This is my first one-shot, and it's completely fictional.**

 **I only own the plot and an OC.**

* * *

 **KATIE POV:**

I watched a tall man with curly brown hair and bright blue eyes, enter the cafe with an athletic-looking blonde. I rolled my eyes, it was Travis, with a new girl this week.

I sighed, he was so irritating. At least back in high school he would stay with some horrible, but attractive girl for some time. Now, as we entered our freshman year of college, it seemed he just couldn't keep it in his pants. In the course of one month, he had simply bounced from girl to girl. Of course, the short span of his relationships couldn't only be blamed on him. A couple of the girls would break up with him. I would watch it happen in the cafe, although I was never clear on why they would break up.

The blonde sat on the couch and Travis came up to the counter.

"Yo, Katie!"

I walked forward and muttered 'jerk' under my breath. I didn't expect him to hear, but I noticed him raise an eyebrow.

"Hello, Travis," I said coldly, I wasn't going to fake enthusiasm.

"Wow, why're you so grumpy?" He asked.

"Oh, I was doing great until you and your _friend_ walked in." I smirked.

"Aww, Kates, are you jealous?"

I was quite surprised by this response. I was surprised I had to even think about the answer. There was no way that I would ever want to be with Travis Stoll like _that_.

"Jealous? Of the blonde?" Sarcastically, I continued, "Of course, I would love to go out with a womanizer like you."

For once, I witnessed pure shock on Travis' face. I was quite satisfied with his expression.

Feeling proud of myself, I curtly asked, "So what would you like to order?"

"Wait, Katie. I didn't—" He broke off, finding difficulty explaining.

I tilted my head, waiting.

He sighed. "One ice tea and one caramel frappuccino."

Feeling content, I returned to my barista duties. I speedily made the ice tea and the caramel frappuccino, because I started to notice an impatient line forming behind Travis. I handed him his drinks and he paid.

Afterward he looked at me and sincerely stated, "See you later, Katie."

"See ya," I said, nervously.

I felt gloomy after we talked. Not the kind of gloomy I often felt once our joking conversation ended, and I had to return to boring small talk with other customers. And not the type of defeat I would feel after he had won a spirited argument. Most surprisingly, not the victory I would feel once I had won. I knew it was probably because of how the conversation seemed unfinished. He seemed to have more to say. He didn't make an actual attempt to deny my accusation, and that made me feel extremely uneasy.

I decided to clear my head with a lunch break. "Chloe!" I called out to my manager. "I'm taking my lunch break, I'll be back in an hour!"

She nodded to me in response. I grabbed my purse, took of my apron, and left through the back door. Unsure where to go, I crossed streets and kept walking straight. After five minutes of walking aimlessly, I spotted a Subway up ahead.

* * *

I was calmly eating my sandwich when the blonde from this morning entered. Surprised to see her here too, I went into fight or flight mode. However, my brain had decided to do neither, instead I tried to hide. Idiotically, I hid my face with my sandwich and slumped down the chair. I was not a very experienced hider, but I felt glad that I had picked the brown bench, because now my dark hair would blend in with it. Of course, I knew this was a desperate attempt, but desperate times call for desperate measures.

Unfortunately, I felt a tap on my shoulder. I look up at the blonde and gave her a nervous smile, while defeatedly lowering my sandwich. I straightened up, and went for a confident greeting, to make up for my foolish attempt at hiding. However, I was all out of luck, I stood up and tripped over the bench leg, and flailed. I was only stopped from hitting the floor by the blonde's heroic save.

Now, I was no longer trying to look confident, just sane. I outstretched my arm, "Thanks. Hello, I'm Katie Gardner."

"Hey," she smiled and shook my hand. Now that I was actually communicating with her, I noticed her intense grey eyes. "I'm Annabeth Chase. Travis talks about you quite a bit. I have to mentor him during his lab."

I was shocked by these revelations. Firstly, he talks about me? I was also stunned that this girl wasn't dating him or sleeping with him. "Wait, so you're not…" I trailed of, not knowing how to continue.

Annabeth was obviously skilled at reading expressions. "I'm not dating him?" She finished for me. I nodded avidly. She smiled politely, "No, of course not, I have a boyfriend. Besides, it's clear he has feelings for you."

I was pretty sure I was gaping now. I would be fixating more on how I misjudged Annabeth, but I was trying to alter my opinion of Travis. I needed to know the truth, what Travis was going to say.

However, I decided to do something sensible for the first time today, I sat down, and invited Annabeth to continue my lunch with me.

* * *

It was almost 10, which meant closing time. I was still contemplating my conversation with Travis. I had spent the whole day thinking about high school and what Annabeth said. In high school, whenever Travis wasn't dating someone horrible, we would talk. I smiled at the memory of some of the crazy parties and sleepovers he would convince me to go to. I felt a wave of nostalgia when I thought about how Travis grinned when he found out we were going to college together.

I was snapped out of my daze by Chloe, "Hey Katie, I have to leave early. Sorry, but can you take care of the cafe for the last 15 minutes?"

I nodded. She hung up her apron, and on her way out called, "Just clean up and lock the cafe on your way out at 10!"

"Don't worry, Chloe!" I reassured her.

I watched the clock as I took a couple more customers' orders. 10 minutes until closing, I comforted myself. I happily brewed lattes until I heard a familiar voice.

"Katie…" I looked up to see Travis. All my memories came rushing back to me. "Travis…you're back," I responded.

He smirked. "Do you have 5 minutes?"

I looked around to find several customers still in the store. I sighed and decided to listen to Travis. "Hey, customers, we're closing! So…um…please leave…" I was annoyed at my lack of communication skills. A couple people looked up and acknowledged my presence. However, the remaining few had obviously decided I was invisible.

Travis decided to save me and said, "Hey! People! Leave now, or we'll cut you off from your caffeine."

I giggled, and he smirked down at me. Surprisingly enough, that got people's attention. I suppose the lesson learned is to never underestimate a college student's need for caffeine.

People slowly started filing out. "Thanks for coming!" I said politely on their way out. I locked the door after the last customer and turned to Travis, I tried to start off firm. "Travis, I don't know what's going on. For the past few years I've been so confused. I'm not sure if we're friends...or something else. But you need to decide now, if you want to stay in my life." I ended up with my voice breaking. I felt an old weight lifted off my chest, but a new weight replaced it.

Travis look surprised and he took my hand. "Katie, out of all the girls I've brought here or you've seen me with, which is about five, I've only 'dated' two of them. The other three were just helping me with school. The two I 'dated' were just to get someone's attention."

My heart pounded irritatingly fast. I tried to think of who it was, I was trying to figure out which feelings to anticipate. I decided to save myself from the suspense. Softly, I whispered, "Who?"

"You."

I knew there was always the possibility I might have heard incorrectly but I couldn't spend time considering it. I swiftly moved forward and kissed him.

He leaned down and kissed me back, slowly and sweetly.

When I pulled away, I saw a goofy smirk on his face. "You didn't let me finish, Kates."

I laughed, "Go ahead."

He continued, "I didn't want you to think I was like that. That's why this morning I didn't know what to say. I want to stay in your life. I want to be something more."

The weight lifted off my chest. I felt free."Me too, I think we are something more. And, I already know what you're like Travis."

He raised an eyebrow, and regained his usual smirk, "Yup, hilarious, good-looking, charming, and the master of all pranks."

I laughed at the change of tone. "Well, at least hilarious was true." I continued, "I'm not sure about the pranks though, I think you've lost your touch."

He took on a devilish expression, and I realized my stupidity. "Oh Katie, Katie, Katie. Do you not realize what you've done?" He laughed and picked me up and threw me on his back. He ran into storage room as I repeatedly pounded on his back with my fists.

"Oh! Wait, Travis, it's after hours. Chloe would kill me if she knew I was still here." I paused and reconsidered, "But she doesn't have to know…"

Travis set me down on a counter. He gave me his trademark smirk and said, "Wow, Katie Gardner breaking the rules, I never thought I'd see the day." I blushed.

"Shut up and kiss me, Stoll."

* * *

 **I'm so glad I finished. I really enjoyed writing a one-shot! I hope you enjoyed reading it. Please review!**

 **Love, Shine14**


End file.
